Inhibit System Recovery via Windows Command Shell


Description

Identifies the execution of Windows utilities to tamper with system recovery settings. Adversaries may delete or remove built-in operating system data and turn off services designed to aid in the recovery of a corrupted system and prevent recovery.

Query · eql

sequence with maxspan=1m
  [process where event.action == "start" and process.name : "cmd.exe" and
    not process.parent.executable : ("?:\\Program Files\\*.exe", "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\*.exe") and
    not (process.args : "\\\\*\\SysVol\\*\\Policies\\{*}\\*" and process.parent.executable : "?:\\Windows\\System32\\gpscript.exe") and
    not process.command_line : ("*\\\\*\\*.cmd*", "*\\\\*\\*.bat*") and 
    not descendant of [process where event.action == "start" and process.executable : "?:\\Windows\\System32\\gpscript.exe"] and
    not (process.parent.executable : "?:\\Windows\\System32\\wbem\\WmiPrvSE.exe" and
         user.id == "S-1-5-18" and process.args : "BOOTSTATUSPOLICY") and
    not (user.id == "S-1-5-18" and process.parent.executable : ("C:\\$VcmsTemp$\\VcmsPush.exe", "C:\\windows\\ctsrsvc.exe"))
  ] by process.entity_id
  [process where event.action == "start" and
    (
     (process.pe.original_file_name : "wmic.exe" and process.command_line : "*shadowcopy*" and process.command_line : "*delete*") or
     (process.pe.original_file_name : "vssadmin.exe" and process.command_line : "*shadows*" and process.command_line : ("*delete*", "*resize*401*")) or
     (process.pe.original_file_name : "bcdedit.exe" and process.command_line : ("*bootstatuspolicy*", "*recoveryenabled*")) or
     (process.pe.original_file_name : "wbadmin.exe" and process.command_line : ("*catalog*", "*systemstatebackup*") and process.command_line : "*delete*")
    ) and
    /* noisy FP patterns */
    not (process.name : "bcdedit.exe" and process.args : "DisplayAllFailures") and
    not (process.name : "wbadmin.exe" and process.args : "-keepVersions*") and
    not (process.name : "bcdedit.exe" and process.command_line: "*recoveryenabled*yes*") and
    /* granular deletion of a shadowcopy by unique ID often seen in legit deletion */
    not (process.name : "vssadmin.exe" and process.command_line : "*/shadow=*")
  ] by process.parent.entity_id
Raw source Inhibit System Recovery via Windows Command Shell · Elastic TOML
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Published by elastic/protections-artifacts ↗, licensed under Elastic License 2.0 ↗. Reproduced here unmodified.
[rule]
description = """
Identifies the execution of Windows utilities to tamper with system recovery settings. Adversaries may delete or remove
built-in operating system data and turn off services designed to aid in the recovery of a corrupted system and prevent
recovery.
"""
id = "d3588fad-43ae-4f2d-badd-15a27df72133"
license = "Elastic License v2"
name = "Inhibit System Recovery via Windows Command Shell"
os_list = ["windows"]
version = "1.0.34"

query = '''
sequence with maxspan=1m
  [process where event.action == "start" and process.name : "cmd.exe" and
    not process.parent.executable : ("?:\\Program Files\\*.exe", "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\*.exe") and
    not (process.args : "\\\\*\\SysVol\\*\\Policies\\{*}\\*" and process.parent.executable : "?:\\Windows\\System32\\gpscript.exe") and
    not process.command_line : ("*\\\\*\\*.cmd*", "*\\\\*\\*.bat*") and 
    not descendant of [process where event.action == "start" and process.executable : "?:\\Windows\\System32\\gpscript.exe"] and
    not (process.parent.executable : "?:\\Windows\\System32\\wbem\\WmiPrvSE.exe" and
         user.id == "S-1-5-18" and process.args : "BOOTSTATUSPOLICY") and
    not (user.id == "S-1-5-18" and process.parent.executable : ("C:\\$VcmsTemp$\\VcmsPush.exe", "C:\\windows\\ctsrsvc.exe"))
  ] by process.entity_id
  [process where event.action == "start" and
    (
     (process.pe.original_file_name : "wmic.exe" and process.command_line : "*shadowcopy*" and process.command_line : "*delete*") or
     (process.pe.original_file_name : "vssadmin.exe" and process.command_line : "*shadows*" and process.command_line : ("*delete*", "*resize*401*")) or
     (process.pe.original_file_name : "bcdedit.exe" and process.command_line : ("*bootstatuspolicy*", "*recoveryenabled*")) or
     (process.pe.original_file_name : "wbadmin.exe" and process.command_line : ("*catalog*", "*systemstatebackup*") and process.command_line : "*delete*")
    ) and
    /* noisy FP patterns */
    not (process.name : "bcdedit.exe" and process.args : "DisplayAllFailures") and
    not (process.name : "wbadmin.exe" and process.args : "-keepVersions*") and
    not (process.name : "bcdedit.exe" and process.command_line: "*recoveryenabled*yes*") and
    /* granular deletion of a shadowcopy by unique ID often seen in legit deletion */
    not (process.name : "vssadmin.exe" and process.command_line : "*/shadow=*")
  ] by process.parent.entity_id
'''

min_endpoint_version = "7.15.0"
[[actions]]
action = "kill_process"
field = "process.entity_id"
state = 0
tree = true

[[actions]]
action = "kill_process"
field = "process.entity_id"
state = 1

[[optional_actions]]
action = "rollback"
field = "process.entity_id"
state = 1

[[threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"
[[threat.technique]]
id = "T1047"
name = "Windows Management Instrumentation"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1047/"

[[threat.technique]]
id = "T1059"
name = "Command and Scripting Interpreter"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/"
[[threat.technique.subtechnique]]
id = "T1059.003"
name = "Windows Command Shell"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/003/"



[threat.tactic]
id = "TA0002"
name = "Execution"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0002/"
[[threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"
[[threat.technique]]
id = "T1490"
name = "Inhibit System Recovery"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1490/"


[threat.tactic]
id = "TA0040"
name = "Impact"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0040/"

[internal]
min_endpoint_version = "7.15.0"

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